Oh So Beautiful Paper

You might remember the awesome guest posts from Carina of Crow and Canary this past April – she’s a fabulous independent stationery rep who spends much of her time touring the country talking about beautiful stationery.  Well, today Carina is back with a profile of three wonderful stationery boutiques in the Midwest.  Welcome back Carina!

Hello there!  Carina from Crow and Canary here.  It’s my sincere pleasure to return to OSBP with a guest post profiling some of the finest stationery boutiques in the Midwest.  I think you’re going to love what you see – I was truly in paper heaven!

::MONOGRAHAM::

Let’s start off by taking a peek into Monograham Paper & Gifts in Delafield, Wisconsin.  This stunning boutique is run by Amy Graham Stigler, creative director and designer for Smock.  Every corner of Monograham held some lovely treasure.  It’s certainly the type of shop that you could plan to spend an afternoon shopping in.  I only wish that I could visit regularly!

A real treat to see the shop decked out for the holidays!

 

Left: Washi tape adorned bags were set up for an upcoming craft class that Monograham has recently begun offering.  Aren’t they adorable? Right: Some of the amazing wedding invitations available at Monograham.

A bright and colorful assortment of paper goods, including: Smock, Susy Jack* & Paper Source.

A peek into Amy’s adjacent studio space: Breathtaking wall of smock gift boxes, they make quite an impression.

A bit of designer’s inspiration, such a cozy space.

::BROADWAY PAPER::

Broadway Paper has been on my radar for some time, I was so excited to finally have an opportunity to visit, as well as to enjoy a few precious minutes with Kate Strzok, Broadway Paper’s owner and fearless leader. Kate is always a delight! Broadway Paper is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Historic Third Ward and is surrounded by other great boutiques and cafes. I loved getting to ogle BP’s creative merchandising and handmade touches. I’m still obsessed with the paper log display below, so very clever.

Near the entrance to Broadway Paper: Snow & Graham 2012 calendar window display.

I couldn’t resist one of Avie Design’s sweet hand-folded bows; luckily it made it home unscathed.

These modern card racks are a sight to behold, not to mention all the cute cards that fill them.

A display of Cream City Ribbon, an eco-friendly ribbon manufacturer and Milwaukee based company.

Little Book of Letterpress and Little Book of Screen Printing sandwiching Mara Mi ribbon.

Very cute display, including the infamous handmade cardboard logs that I so admire.

::GREER CHICAGO::

GREER Chicago and proprietress, Chandra Greer, are true legends in the stationery world. I’m fortunate to count Chandra as a friend and mentor and I know that her positive attitude and giving nature have been paramount for many emerging stationers over the years. GREER is beyond my wildest dreams fabulous. It’s very clear that Chandra hand picks the merchandise and works with an above average staff to maintain stunning presentation; you don’t have to take my word – have a look yourself…

 

Left: This Hammerpress calendar makes me think of pink lemonade, love! Right: I only wish I’d had time to look through every drawer, so many hidden treasures!

 

 

Left: Luscious ribbon in a vintage card catalog. Right: GREER’S Love Civilettes are perfect for “Spontaneous Adoration.”

Perfect Chicago holiday greeting from La Familia Green.

A sincere thank you to Amy, Kate and Chandra for finding time to meet with me and allow me to come into their lovely spaces to take photographs, not always the easiest feat during a weekend in December! Their grace and generosity are much appreciated. And if you see something that you’re dying to get your hands on, both Broadway Paper and GREER Chicago offer comprehensive online shopping.

And last, but far from least, thanks to my traveling companion and partner in paper crime, Kimberley Yurkiewicz.

Photo Credits: Carina Murray

“On the road with Monograham, Broadway Paper and GREER” is a guest post by Carina Murray of Crow & Canary

During my last visit with ReForm School in Los Angeles I had the pleasure of discovering Tabletop Made.  I’m a complete sucker for lovely and unique new cards lines, so I was delighted to find more designs in their Etsy shop.  Tabletop Made is based in scenic Santa Barbara, CA and is operated by Karis Van Noord and Sarah Wilkinson.

Much gratitude to Nole for giving me the opportunity to share some of my paper loves with you, dear readers.  I hope she and her mister are enjoying every moment of their vacation.

Photo Credit: Tabletop Made

“Tabletop Made” is a guest post by Carina Murray of Crow & Canary

Candyspotting is a laser cutting studio based in Portland, Oregon and founded by Sarah Holbrook in 2009.  Though Sarah cuts many different mediums, she tends to focus her efforts on paper.  The laser’s ability to both cut and etch allows for some stunning results and it never ceases to amaze me how detailed the final product can turn out.  The fine art foray into laser cutting paper is a fairly new trend.  Historically, laser cutters have been used for more industrial applications.  It’s very exciting to see more artists and designers using this medium – I love discovering new stationery lines that are working with cut paper.

Sarah was kind enough to cut the Oh So Beautiful Paper logo (featuring calligraphy by Bryn from Paperfinger) as a demonstration of the laser’s intricacy.  Since Candyspotting specializes in cutting paper, Sarah is an expert at calculating the laser’s settings for the cleanest cut and the least amount of residual burning.  The end results are simply breathtaking.

This piece took over five minutes to cut.  If you are interested in reading more about the technical side of the process, be sure to visit Candyspotting’s blog.

Rhode Montijo’s papel picado style Skeletown card will soon be for sale at the very first Latino Comics Expo in San Francisco next month.

Saelee Oh’s limited edition cut (this piece is sold out) “All Together Now”. The equally stunning “Infinite Path” is currently available in Saelee’s shop.

Béatrice Coron creates the majority of her paper cuts by hand, but has recently begun offering a small selection of laser cut pieces. “BZCT” is available in a numbered edition of 500.

Squirrel Loves Nut is my own small line of cards. As a rep for so many talented designers, I’m inspired on a daily basis – it’s been a treat to have my very own creative outlet.

This wedding invitation, designed by Candyspotting, combines laser cutting and etching.

Catchy business card design, by Brian Behrens.

Laser cut paper scraps are particularly cute.

Test cuts for a Thank You card designed by Candyspotting.

Many thanks to Sarah for allowing me to invade her studio.

“Laser Cutting with Candyspotting” is a guest post by Carina Murray of Crow & Canary.

As someone that has lived their entire life on the West Coast, I can think of few things more intriguing and romantic than living in New York City.  Greenwich Letterpress offers two wedding suites to appeal to the couple who not only has a love affair with one another, but also this truly wondrous city.  Additionally, they sell a selection of New York based greeting cards and flats that lend a bit of wit and nostalgia – appealing to New Yorkers and tourists alike.

Photo Credit: Greenwich Letterpress

“Greenwich Letterpress Love New York” is a guest post by Carina Murray of Crow & Canary